Summer Time Again...

Before I have procrastinated for so long that it would be ridiculous to post, I am going to share more of our summer time fun. This is a little photo intensive as I just threw it all in together.

The Garden

Our gardens were beautiful this year. Golden sunflowers towered above all our glorious squares of carrots, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, sweet peas, zucchinis, squashes, strawberries, scallions, and beets. Whew, writing it all down brings back a flood of memories: round with baby planting square after square of carrots, rounder with baby pulling weeds, about to pop with baby harvesting our bounty. 

The children were particularly taken with the sweet peas. They loved hunting through the vines for fat pods promising sweet surprises. I never cooked a single pea for the littles ate every last one while standing under the sweltering sun.

Gracie was the leader of the garden marauders. Oh, the pillaging of the strawberry and carrot patches. Little people were constantly eating dirt encrusted produce. What fun!

I planted all those sunflowers thinking that they would shade the tender spinach leaves thus extending the growing season. They did their job spectacularly! A little too well in the end as we had more sunflowers than anything else, but I cannot complain when the mistake was so beautiful.

 Wet and Wild

Our dear neighbors once again opened their pool to our family. I don't know what we would do without their generosity for my children absolutely love to swim. They are actually little fish disguised as small human wrecking machines. The disguise is pretty convincing!

They played endless rounds of Marco Polo.

 (I do believe those are called ducks-out-of-water.) 

Olivia has the longest legs, amazingling long legs!

 Poor Xavier has his work cut out for him if he is to get her in.

 Flying with the Greatest of Ease by Grace

Get Ready...

Get set...

Go!!

Quinton, you crack me up!

 Summer Storm

I know other parts of the country have thunder showers everyday but it is so novel to have one in southern California that I just have to take pictures. I love the moody skies and warm rain. I love the children frolicing in wetness and laughing at this gift from the heavens. I love the brief break from scorching dry heat.

Stephen and Blaise took advantage of the coolness to run and run and run.

Quinton swung in the trees.

 Marie Claire made a little excursion outside to watch all the antics.

Even Olivia romped with the little ones on this delightful wet afternoon.

I love to look back on all those smiling faces and remember the amusements of summer as we waited in joyful anticipation of the birth of Marie Claire.